February 23, 2016 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
NOAA Fisheries new bycatch estimates show the amount of bycatch in the United States varies widely by fishery and type of fishing gear.
As we’ve been highlighting with various announcements over the last couple of weeks, bycatch comes in many forms and affects people in myriad ways. We track bycatch to understand where it may be a problem so we can develop solutions to address it.
Today, we released the second update to the first edition of U.S. National Bycatch Report. It provides fishery managers and stock assessment scientists with the most current bycatch estimates for fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds in major U.S. commercial fisheries using data from 2011-2013.
The updated report identifies positive trends in bycatch levels for many important U.S. fisheries and species. It also recognizes areas for improvement in the estimation of bycatch and opportunities to reduce bycatch in various fisheries.
NOAA Fisheries is committed to finding cooperative solutions to reduce bycatch and ensure our nation’s fisheries remain sustainable. It all begins with good estimates of bycatch.
Learn more about how we are tackling bycatch.